Sunday, August 26, 2012

A Lellow Dresser

Down in the dungeon I have a rickety little corner of shelves stock full of happiness. There are rows of stained paint brushes in old jars, space dedicated to spray paint, itty bitty sample cans of crazy paint colors. There is a container full of acrylics and all sorts of odds and sods well known to any DIYer (which I like to refer to as a DIYCYC-do it yourself 'cause your crazy.) This past winter, with a baby literally hanging off my hip and a two year old pointing to my shoulder asking if it was my elbow, I stripped, sanded, primed and painted. I slowly lost my mind in the pursuit to actually regain it, as I always think a good project will help. Several large old pieces of furniture, old doors, window frames, and children received some paint in all various manners. Stacked drawers, drills, and hammers were only a small portion of the danger to a baby laying about the house. The crazed mother was high on the danger list.

Would someone please explain to me how to take photos of these sorts of things? Impossible may ring true here. Complete with original hardware and terrible drawers-I love the skirt work and detail on this old dresser. Yes, I intended this to look scuffed up and dirty-my house isn't that filthy.

Now moi, I'm a bit of a naturalist. I know the 1900's called and wants their style back, but I'm there. Girls, I love the natural look of wood. I love old wood, I love stained wood and I like it plain jane. I don't have the urge to paint everything white as most the population does. I'm also not on the boat that cringes when wood is painted over. Folks, it's just a piece of furniture after all. Are you going to take that with you when you leave this planet? I doubt it.

What? The glare hurts your eyes? Put on your shades! This is the before folks, and all roads lead to this clothes holder being 100% Canuck. From what era? Who knows! I bet whoever crafted this dove tail joint drawer specimen would flip their lid knowing the sunshiney hue it now adorns. Whoops!

For my own house, very little get's painted in the way of furniture. For display of my baby swag at shows and for resale for old fashioned baby rooms, sure, I'll slap a coat of blue on that waterfall dresser. My little girl's antique dresser (that was not in the family previously-I have no qualms about this) was washed in yellow. Little girl's rooms are the perfect place for a happy splash of color.

Happy side note, my Auntie Pat was proposed to with an actual shiny ring in a cracker jack box. Can you believe it? I would have definitely eaten the thing and most likely choked.

This piece got the works, a thorough clean, a light sanding and a bit of effort. I distressed the beast to give it some old fashioned country fun, and used light & dark wax. Yes, dark wax to dirty it up. After days of effort, between naps, meals and house cleaning, my Dad walks in to see the finish project still sitting in the living room. He knew I had a dresser to work on for Tay, and saw the ray of sunshine sitting there. Dad let me know that if I was to get started on that piece I should probably try a stripper first before I start to sand it down, it looked like there was a lot of paint on there. "Um, thanks Dad, but it's already done." "Oh." Now that there is another before and after painted piece of furniture post to drop into the big old ocean of blog posts about this, let me sign off by saying never open a can of paint in the living room. Never. Ever. This would be sad and silly, you will be grouped into the insane new mother's group, even if you are a man.

Oh, it's absolutely darling and cheery as can be! I'm of the camp that loves to paint furniture. My dear Mama is not in such camp. Can you believe she refused to give me a piece of furniture because she knew I would paint it? I might of rolled my eyes, not in front of her of course...

She DID relinquish control over one old piece of my great grandmothers. I can't wait to give it some color!

Funny how painting vs natural goes in seasons. My MIL spent many an evening with 4 young boys asleep, stripping down furniture to its original wood. Often times there would be 2 or 3 bright colored hues to get past. Now we do the opposite. History does indeed repeat itself!

Haha you are an awesome story teller. I love your Dads comment too. I love wood as well, and I am one of those people who hate to paint wood, oh sure I will do it for others, but I like my stuff unpainted....but I do like what you have done with the dresser though, it looks good!

I love it, all of it!I'd also like it if you would come down and help me do this here same thing to a piece of furniture I have. I need to attempt to do it before long, I really do. I'm just a bit worried it won't turn out at all like I picture it should. And, then again it may be beyond perfect. I love the color add it does, I love color. Who wants to be plain jane all the time? ;)

Very cute! I love the look of wood but I also love all the different colors everyone is starting to paint their stuff. I need to try this, but I just can bring myself to do it just yet! Silly me! I love your dad's comment.

I remember doing everything with at least one kid on my hip! It is amazing how much muscle we build up in that arm. My left arm was the baby holding arm, and I am right handed, but still I carry everything in my left arm! Its the muscle!I love that shade of yellow. It is warm but not too dark or light! Funny, about your dad. Mine would say the same!Blessings,Susie

Haha! I just love what your dad said. I am in the camp that does both--I talk with furniture before I attack it, and we decide together whether it will be stained or painted. My next project is to change a gorgeous oak bench to turquoise (I think). And, I'm currently contemplating painting our "treasure chest" looking coffee table that's been a dark distressed wood red with a union jack on top of it. It's been wood for over five years, and I'm feeling the need of some color--distressed of course. :-)

Girl I just love you, you crack me up! I like the DIYCYC, lol! I'll have to remember that. Of course I can remember it, but I just know I'll forget what it stands for, haha. But that's me too, my family would agree that's me also.

Kudos to you for even attempting any kind of craft or makeover with two little ones. I let my crafting go completely when mine were little. There's no way I would have attempted a furniture makeover, I can barely do those now with mine being older, haha. But I truly love what you've done! It looks awesome Cheyenne!! The color is perfect for a little girls room. My daughter's room was yellow when she was younger and I would find myself going in there to sit lots of times because it was the cheeriest place in the house.

Your dad cracked me up... sounds just like something my mom and dad would both say, lol! Oops on the mess in the living room? I can see paint all over the floor.